"We must dare to look at hardship and try to resolve it,” the president-elect said on Thursday

The KSPI has announced its plan to hold mass protests from Oct. 24 to 31 to demand better pay and the repeal of certain provisions in the jobs law, noting that the protests were scheduled on those dates to ensure a peaceful inauguration day on Oct. 20.

Albanese said he agreed on the timeline to resume full lobster trade by year end during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Laos.

Indonesia will open thousands of kitchens across the country next year as the incoming government led by president-elect Prabowo Subianto kicks off his multibillion dollar free meals program, the head of the agency running the initiative said on Tuesday.

The president-elect's flagship free meal program has evolved from its initial aim to combat stunting to providing two meals per student per day, a top advisor has said at a Kadin event on Monday.

To date, Apple has not fulfilled its promised investment in Indonesia by establishing a total of four R&D facilities in the country, Industry Ministry said.

Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority head Basuki Hadimuljono said the target was for work on ministerial infrastructure to wrap up by the end of October. Meanwhile, trials will be launched for the use of larger aircraft at Nusantara’s airport, according to the Transportation Ministry.

Immigration authorities in Bali plan to conduct an in-depth evaluation of local business operations after receiving complaints about a growing number of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on the island being controlled by foreign nationals.

The construction of Indonesia’s planned new capital city in East Kalimantan has drawn flak from experts who see the megaproject veering toward elite private developments at the expense of inclusivity.

A new Manpower Ministry regulation is in the works to guarantee social protection and security for informal workers with so-called partner status, including on-demand motorcycle drivers.

Deputy Finance Minister Thomas “Tommy” Djiwandono stressed the importance of private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the country’s GDP, as a crucial driver of economic growth.

The year-long delay triggered immediate outcry from environmental groups, but the legislation had faced substantial pushback from many governments and industries.

Labor unions and business associations disagree regarding minimum wage increase as Indonesia braces for the annual discussions in November that will lay the groundwork for 2025 remuneration.

The energy minister says that restrictions will not be imposed on subsidized fuel sales this month as initially planned, to give the government more time to review eligibility criteria and other aspects of the policy.

The disclosures from Exxon Mobil, Chevron Corp, and ConocoPhillips were required this year for the first time ever under a new Securities and Exchange Commission requirement.

Talks of a potential cabinet expansion under the incoming government has left foreign businesses and experts leery of more red tape that could hamper Indonesia's ease of doing business as a result of unnecessary complexities in both regulatory and interinstitutional coordination.

The leadership crisis at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) continues as Arsjad Rasjid and Anindya Bakrie both claim to be the lobby group’s chairman following a meeting mediated by Golkar Party chairman Bahlil Lahadalia.

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan partially blames the EU for having too many demands that have resulted in further delays to the negotiations.

The dialogue is part of the three-day 24th ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF-24) that began on Wednesday. It is being held in conjunction with the 42nd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM).

Deputy Finance Minister Thomas “Tommy” Djiwandono has admitted that spending on the construction of Nusantara, the future capital city located in East Kalimantan, could exceed the planned budget cap.

Implementing the global minimum tax (GMT) in Indonesia was neither optional nor easy, the deputy finance minister said at this year's International Tax Forum, and would require internal and external support to ensure the country benefited from the global policy while remaining an attractive investment destination.

The proposal to reinstate the incentive has resurfaced amid falling car sales. During the first half of 2024, wholesale, or factory-to-dealer sales, were down 19.5 percent year-on-year (yoy) to 408,012 units from the same period last year.

Putra Adhiguna, managing director at the Energy Shift Institute, said the stipulation would safeguard PLN in the scheme's decision-making process, but such flexibility could also cause uncertainty for investments.

The Biden administration has raised serious concerns about the collection of data by Chinese companies on US drivers and infrastructure as well as the potential foreign manipulation of vehicles connected to the internet and navigation systems. 

The President said he expected the government would soon hold 61 percent of gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia and urged the public to consider the firm an Indonesian entity.

After being passed into law, the budget plan for 2025 can still be revised by the incoming administration to accommodate its priorities.

The Fed's decision will affect the rates at which commercial banks lend to consumers and businesses, bringing down the cost of borrowing on everything from mortgages to credit cards.

The reduction of Bank Indonesia’s key interest rate brings to an end more than two years of rising borrowing costs. The move follows weeks of well-contained inflation and a strengthening rupiah and comes just hours ahead of a much-anticipated interest rate decision by the United States’ Federal Reserve.

Students in most private schools in big cities, especially Jakarta, are affluent and the agency emphasized that their participation would be optional. 

The government and the House of Representatives are one step closer to inking the 2025 state budget bill, but the draft leaves many questions unanswered regarding the impending government transition and funding for key projects.